Certain things run in the family, and for Bloomfield's Joey Sorge, soon to star in the Paper Mill Playhouse's production of "Grease," performing could be that thing.

The musical runs from May 29 to June 29 in Millburn.

Growing up in Maryland, Sorge watched his father and uncle perform onstage many times, unaware at the time, that he was getting a glimpse of his future.

"I saw my uncle do '1776,' and he played John Adams," Sorge said. "My dad did a lot of community theater. I saw him play Judd in 'Oklahoma.' I remember being struck by how good they were."

Sorge was an admirer of the 1978 film "Grease" as a kid - especially John Travolta's performance as Danny Zuko - so much in fact, that he and neighborhood kids would make cardboard guitars in their spare time and recreate the popular songs from the musical.

Despite that, he was a bit reluctant to step onstage for the first time as a 10-year-old.

"My dad got me a part in 'The King and I,'" Sorge recalled. "I wasn't that into it at first. I thought my friends might make fun of me."

The performance went well, and buoyed by the compliments afterwards, he realized then it might be a career for him.

By high school, he joined the Drama Club and was cast in a small role in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum."

"I got into a little trouble for upstaging one of the [principal actors]," Sorge said with a laugh. "But I learned a lesson."

By his senior year, he had the principal role to himself, as he starred in the part of Danny Zuko in "Grease," the role for which he idolized Travolta for playing onscreen.

While attending the University of Maryland on an acting scholarship, Sorge honed his skills performing in "Little Shop of Horrors," "The Taming of the Shrew," "Purlie" ("I was the only white guy"), and "The Wiz" as The Tin Man.

Staying in Maryland after college, he hoped to latch on with a repertory company, but it had "started falling apart." Sorge took acting jobs he could find. One such gig was a children's theater company, which was not as enjoyable as one would hope.

"That was a tough learning experience," he said. "It was four or five people traveling around in a van, performing children's theater that was geared more for second-graders, but we'd be doing shows before eighth-grade classes which just stared at us. So that was challenging, but I'm glad I did it. I felt it was all part of paying my dues."

Big steps

After paying dues up and down the East Coast, occasionally taking train trips to New York for auditions, Sorge had to make a decision - go to Colombia where he had been accepted for grad school, or pursue his Broadway dreams. He decided to go with the latter, and fortunately, still learning from top drama teachers from NYU and Columbia.

He was soon cast off-Broadway in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Saturday Night."

"It was surreal," he said. "It was a big step."

The following year, Sorge made his Broadway debut in another Sondheim creation, "Follies."

"I've had a chance to work with great wonderful people," he said reflecting on his career.

Something he hasn't had a chance to do - until now - is play Vince Fontaine in "Grease."